Man break ex-friend’s jaw after MP3 row

A Dewsbury man broke the jaw of someone he used to be friends with over an ongoing row about an MP3 player.

Jordan Beford, 18, threw a single punch at Joseph Haigh after they bumped into each other in the street on July 11.

Jessica Strange, prosecuting, said Bedford believed Haigh had taken the MP3 player from him – but it actually belonged to a mutual friend of theirs.

Bedford, who was walking alone, came across Mr Haigh, who was with four others, between 10pm and 11pm. It was the first time they had spoken about the issue in quite a while, but both of them accused the other of being a liar.

“The defendant then got very close to Mr Haigh and punched him without a great deal of warning,” Miss Strange said.

Mr Haigh fell to the floor and Bedford walked away. Witnesses said Bedford was bragging about the punch, who said the Mr Haigh deserved it for “being cheeky”.

Haigh went to Dewsbury and District Hospital two days later but his jaw healed itself.

Bedford, of Smithy Walk, later claimed that he thought Mr Haigh was going to punch him as he was acting aggressively.

Andrew Semple, mitigating, said Bedford was “embarrassed and ashamed” of his actions.

Bedford, an admin assistant, was given a 12 month community order and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work. He also has to pay £250 compensation to Mr Haigh.